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5 Best RC Boats for kids in 2023 (Safe and cheap)

Updated in 2023 by Paul Posea
rc boats for kids safe

Picking an RC boat for a kid is no easy task, as you have to take into account things like:

  • safety
  • durability
  • not being boring

This article is going to make it easy for you to pick the perfect one in less than 10 minutes.

Here's the catch though:

You need to take note of your budget and check the price you're willing to pay first.

Done?

Let's get started!

What to look for in an RC Toy Drone?

motor

Propeller protection for kids

There are certain RC boats that have a  system to protect you and your kids from starting up the propeller on the ground.

It's made in such a way to only complete the circuit for power only when the boat is in water.

wqq 1

Flipping mechanism

Some boats have a flipping mechanism so they're self-righting in case you flip them in the water.

range-icon-2

Range

The boats on this list work with 2.4ghz transmitters and usually have a range over 100m and up to 300m, which is usually enough.

MY TOP 5 RC toy boats

This is my top list with the 7 rc boats for kids carefully selected... don't necesarily judge them by the place they're on, as there's really not much difference in quality  or fun you can have with them.

I suggest you check my top best toy drones for kids too.

If you're a parent, you might want to learn a bit about rc boats yourself before ordering one.

Choose what looks best to you and the ones that come with the features you're most looking for.

1.Best overall RC Boat(Altair AA Aqua)

battery incon 3

Battery 

15min

children age icon

Recommended age

years old+

wqq 1

Self-righting

yes

speed icon 2

Speed

30km/h (20mph)

altair aa aqua rc boat with two batteries included 1

The Altair AA aqua boat is probably my favorite recommendation both for children and adults, as it features a really high quality build along with a child safe propeller system that will block the motor from running if it's not in water.

 It also has the option to flip itself back in place if it tips over, but that's not something that really happens as the build and gravity center makes it very stable. The flipping, self-righting system is called anti-capsize and is a huge help. The transmitter is really well built and easy to use and the overal attention to detail is something that definitely justifies the price.

Pros

  • If you don't want to be scared it flips over
  • If you want to be notified before losing signal
  • Great both for kids and adults
  • Comes with 2 batteries
  • Great english customer support

Cons

  • If you have a really small pool ( it's quite fast and I would recommend an open body of water)

2.Best Fishing RC Boat(Radio Ranger 2)

battery incon 3

Battery 

20min

children age icon

Recommended age

years old+

wqq 1

Self-righting

no

speed icon 2

Speed

20km/h (12mph)

radio ranger 2 fishing 1

The Radio Ranger 2 is a fishing RC boat that actually works thanks to it's considerable size and power. 

I would recommend this boat for 8 year old kids or older, as fishing can be quite challenging.

This might just be the most fun family activity a dad and mom could do with their kid to develop a deep sense of satisfaction and working towards a goal.

Imagine working together with your child and teaching him to put bait and carefully drive the boat around the water until the fish bites.

Then, battling with the fish and take it back to you victoriously. It's an experience that teach children to work toward a goal and make it fun in the meantime.

Pros

  • sturdy design
  • Having a great experience fishing with your kids
  • Teaching your kid patience and reward of their own work.
  • Variable Speeds for different sized water

Cons

  • pretty long charging time (4h)

3.BEST RC BOAT FOR POOLS (UDI VENOM)

battery incon 3

Battery 

15min

children age icon

Recommended age

5 years old+

wqq 1

Self-righting

yes

speed icon 2

Speed

25km/h (15mph)

udirc venom rc boat 1

The UDI001 venom  remote control boat is quite popular with people interested to have fun with a very controllable and easy to use boat. 

Unlike many other RC boats, this one has two stabilizing fins on the stern which make it run very smooth and stable when doing turns. It's a blast to pilot it at max speed and race with friends and at the same time you can lower the speed and let your kids play in the pool with it.

Pros

  • anti tilt hull (if you don't want it to flip when taking turns)
  • water cooling intake for the motor
  • the transmitter feels great
  • quite fast
  • small enough to use in a pool

Cons

  • battery life not so long

4.Most fun rc boat (military battleship)

battery incon 3

Battery 

25min

children age icon

Recommended age

4 years old +

wqq 1

Self-righting

no

speed icon 2

Speed

8km/h 

bismarck military rc boat for kids model 1

These two boats offer a completely different experience for kids than the other ones on this list. They may not be the fastest, but the feeling of controlling a battleship destroyer  with cannons that can be moved is quite entertaining for many kids (age  4 and up) and even adults. 

Nothing on it really fires so it's as safe as it comes. The destroyer version also has helicopters and airplanes on board that can be removed that kids love to play with.

Pros

  • great for pools
  • turrets can be rotated and cannons reoriented(manually)
  • two versions you can choose from

Cons

  • moves pretty slowly

5.Fastest RC toy boat(shark design)

battery incon 3

Battery 

15min

children age icon

Recommended age

12 years old+

wqq 1

Self-righting

yes

speed icon 2

Speed

40km/h (25mph)

funtech rc boat for kids with shark design

There are many good things you can say about this boat from FunTech, especially when it comes to speed and design. From the 1750KV motor to the 4 cm metal propeller with a cable drive system that makes it super powerful. 

How powerful?

I'm talking 40km/h speed that's nothing to be joked with.  The design is quite unique, featuring a shark face, but keep in mind, this is no toy for small children.I would only recommend it for kids over 12 years old at least

Pros

  • self-righting hull design
  • water cooling system for the motor
  • very maneuverable
  • option to control multiple boats at the same time with your friends on different frequencies

Cons

  • Can be quite fast

Frequently asked questions (rc boats guide)

Are RC Boats safe for children?

There are a few ways rc boats could be a threat to a kid:

1.The propeller started spinning in the air and hurt him. 

This isn't possible with the boats on this list as they have a safety mechanism that closes the circuit for the motor only when they're in the water. THis means the blades will never start spinning on the ground.

2. Kids could hit themselves while in the water

If you make sure nobody is in the water while the kids are playing, everything should be good. The speed of some of these boats could make for a slight bruise, but nothing more, as they're very light and quite small.

At what age can kids play with them rc boats?

Since there are plenty of toy level boats, kids as young as 3 years old can start playing with them in the pool. 

I would personally recommend them for children older than 5, but the good thing is that there is no upper limit.

What is the range for RC toy boats?

The average range of a transmitter, just like the ones on toy drones, is about  100m, with some going up to 300m.

You can usually find the distance they can go in the specifications of the product on the amazon page.

How long do batteries last?

Here's why it depends:

You could ram it in full power at 15mph  and the battery would get depleated in less than 10 min.

But in normal use circumstances, the standard battery life for racing toy boats is about 20 minutes.

Can batteries be changed during play?

Sure thing, you can remove the boat from the water and carefully change the low lipo battery with another one.

How long does charging one battery take?

Depending on the size of the battery, there's an average of an hour upwards to 2 hours in total.

How are batteries recharged?

All the  boats on this list come with their included battery charger.

Lipo batteries like the ones used in the rc boats usually are charged either by plugging them to a balance charger and into the wall socket or directly to a USB port (for smaller ones).

How do you get back an RC boat that's out of range?

Afraid you'll race it over the maximum range and lose it to the waves?

I feel you here.

However, there are ways to make sure that doesn't happen.

1. Play with the boat on an enclosed small water mass

2. Have a secondary longer range RC boat to save the first (this is lots of fun)

3. Tie it with a rope

4. Put an aluminum foil behind the controller to slightly improve signal and hopefully get it back

5.Make sure to keep it closer to a mass of land so you can wal up closer to it.

author-paul-posea-picture
Hi, I'm Paul.
A big drone enthusiast, reviewing, comparing and writing about drones since 2015. I'm all about helping people enjoy and even monetize their hobby.

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paul posea
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
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